Dinan Overview

Dinan (dee-nahn; pop. 11,000), on a hill above the Rance River, has all the charms of a medieval Breton village—cobblestone streets, local artisans, and traditional crêperies. Outside the ramparts, the river valley and countryside compose a natural beauty as appealing as the town’s architecture.

• Trains: Pl. du 11 Novembre 1918. Open M 7:20am-7pm, Tu-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 11am-7:20pm. To Paris (3hr., 6 per day, €632) via Rennes (1hr., 8 per day, €13) and St-Malo (1hr., 6 per day, €8.30) via Dol.
• Buses: Tibus (☎02 96 39 21 05; www.cotesdarmor.fr). Open M-F 8am-noon and 2-6pm. Leave from the train station and pl. Duclos Pinot for St-Malo (1hr., 3-8 per day) and Dinard (1hr.; M-F 3 per day, Sa 1 per day). €2 for all destinations.
• Taxis: ☎02 96 39 06 00. At the train station.

Orientation And Practical Information

• Tourist Office: 9 rue du Château (☎02 96 87 69 76; www.dinan-tourisme.com). From the station, bear left across pl. du 11 Novembre 1918 onto rue Carnot, then right onto rue Thiers, which brings you to pl. Duclos Pinot. Turn left to go inside the vieille ville walls and bear right onto rue du Marchix, which becomes rue de la Ferronnerie. Pass parking lots on pl. du Champ and pl. Duguesclin to the left; the tourist office is ahead on the right. Multilingual staff provides a free walking-tour city map, an excellent historical guide (€3.50), and a reservations service (€2). Open July-Aug. M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 10am-12:30pm and 2:30-6pm; Sept.-June M-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 2-6pm.
• Tours: Available from the tourist office in French July-Aug. daily 3pm; Sept. and Apr.-June Sa 3pm. Tours in English July 17-Aug. 21 Th 5pm. €5, under 18 €3.
• Bank: BNP Paribus, 3 pl. Duclos Pinot. Open Tu-F 9am-12:20pm and 2-6pm, Sa 9am-1pm.
• Public Toilets: Underground at pl. du Guesclin. Free.
• Police: 16 pl. du Guesclin (☎02 96 87 74 00).
• Pharmacy: 4 rue de l’Apport (☎02 96 39 21 31). Open M 10am-12:30pm and 2-7pm, Tu-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 2-7pm.
• Hospital: Rue Chateaubriand (☎02 96 85 72 85).
• Internet Access: Free Wi-Fi at Le Patio (see Nightlife, ).
• Post Office: Pl. Duclos (☎02 96 85 83 50). Currency exchange available. Open M-F 8:30am-6pm, Sa 9am-12:30pm. Postal Code: 22100.

Accommodations

• Auberge de Jeunesse “Moulin du Méen” (HI; ☎02 96 39 10 83; dinan@fuaj.org), in Vallée de la Fontaine-des-Eaux. From the train station, turn left, then turn left across tracks. Take a right onto rue du Clos du Hêtre, which becomes rue de l’Écuyer and then route de Dinard. Follow the tracks and signs downhill for 2km. Turn right on rue de la Fontaine des Eaux and continue through wooded lanes for another 2km (20-30min.). Clean 1- to 8-bed rooms and communal kitchen. Accepts the Pass Bretagne . Breakfast €3.60. Free Internet access. Bike rental €6 per ½-day, €10 per day; ID deposit. Reception July-Aug. 8am-noon and 5-9pm; Sept.-June 9am-noon and 5-8pm. Camping €6 per person. Dorms €13. MC/V.
• Hôtel du Théâtre, 2 rue Ste-Claire (☎02 96 39 06 91). Prime location above a quiet bar in the heart of the vieille ville. Large windows with flower boxes brighten rooms. Breakfast €5. Reception 9am-9pm. Singles and doubles €23, with showers and toilets €29; triples with showers and toilets €39. AmEx/MC/V.
• Hôtel de la Gare, pl. de la Gare (☎02 96 39 04 57; fax 39 02 29), next to the train station, 10min. from the vieille ville. Large and clean rooms over a corner bar. Breakfast €5. Shower €2. Reception M-Sa 7am-8pm, Su 7am-2pm. Singles and doubles €27, with showers and toilets €34; quads with bath €65. AmEx/MC/V.

Food

Simple bars and brasseries line the streets linking rue de la Ferronnerie with place des Merciers, especially narrow rue de la Cordonnerie. A Monoprix supermarket is at 7 pl. du Marchix. (Open M-Sa 9am-7:30pm.) There is also a Marché Plus at 28 pl. Duclos. (Open M-Sa 7am-9pm, Su 9am-1pm.) On Thursdays, head to the outdoor market (open 9am-1pm) on place du Champ Clos, near the tourist office, to grab some fruit and a box of the town’s specialty cookies, gavottes (dried, crystallized crêpes ). Small restaurants and cafes cluster outside the ramparts, especially along the port, which is down the steep rue du Jerzual from the vieille ville. In the vieille ville, you’ll find crêperies at every turn.

• ArThé, 19 rue de l’Apport (☎02 96 87 48 45). S alon de thé and curiosity shop overflows with 100s of intricate porcelain teapots and collectibles from around the world. 65 varieties of exquisite tea (€4.20-6). Open Tu-Su 10:30am-7pm.
• Crêperie le Roy, 15 rue de la Lainerie (☎02 96 39 29 72). English-speaking staff serves up filling galettes (€2.40-7.90), sweet crêpes (€2.30-7.20), and dinner salads (€8.20-8.50). Open M and W-Su 11:30am-3pm and 6:30-9:30pm.
• Taj Mahal, 9 rue Ste-Claire (☎03 96 85 43 30; www.restaurant-indien-dinan.com). Authentic Indian delights and vegetarian options. Entrées €5-11. Plats €12-16. Lunch menu €11. Dinner menu €18-22. Open daily noon-2pm and 7-11pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

Ramparts. Spanning nearly 3km, the town’s ramparts are the longest and oldest in Brittany and a sight in themselves. Their remains completely encircle the vieille ville, but if all you see is the 13th-century Porte du Guichet —which marks the original entrance to the Château de Dinan—you’ll still get the picture.

Château. Formerly a military stronghold, ducal residence, and dungeon, the château today houses a small and unimpressive museum of local art and history in its five-floor donjon (keep). It’s worth the visit just to wander around the keep itself; helpful placards on each floor note what each room was originally used for. A great view awaits those who make it up all 150 steps of the 34m tower. The museum also includes the 15th-century Tour de Coëtquen, across the Porte du Guichet from the keep. Along with the occasional temporary exhibit, its dank, drafty basement houses dimly lit medieval tomb statues. (☎02 96 39 45 20. Open daily June-Sept. 10am-6:30pm; Oct.-Dec. and Feb.-May 1:30-5:30pm. €4.40, students and ages 12-18 €1.70, under 12 free. Cash only.)

Basilique Saint-Sauveur. This basilica was built by a local noble grateful to have been spared in the Crusades. The Romanesque facade, which dates back to 1120, features a winged lion and bull above the doorway and four eroded statues on the side arches. Within are 12 wood altars made by local craftsmen as well as the heart of French military hero Bertrand du Guesclin.

Église Saint-Malo. Completely desecrated during the French Revolution and rebuilt in 1803, the Église St-Malo contains a remarkable 19th-century English organ with blue and gold pipes and a massive Baroque altar. Check out the 20th-century stained glass depicting scenes from medieval life in Dinan. (Grande Rue. Mass M-Th 8am, F 10am, Su 10:30am.)

Tour De L’Horloge. The 15th-century Tour de l’Horloge commands a brilliant view of Dinan’s streets and the Rance Valley. The bells ring every 15min. (Rue de l’Horloge. ☎02 96 87 02 26. Open daily June-Sept. 10am-6:30pm; Apr.-May 2-6pm. Pamphlets available in English. €2.90, students and ages 12-18 €1.90, under 12 free.)

Nightlife And Festivals

Every other year (next in 2010), Dinan hosts the two-day Fête des Remparts during the second half of July. Partygoers don medieval garb for jousting tournaments. (☎02 96 87 94 94; http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fete-remparts.dinan">http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fete-remparts.dinan">http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fete-remparts.dinan. Presentations daily 10am-10pm. All-day access €10, under 10 and those in medieval costume free; tournaments €10, ages 5-9 €6.) Mid-July is also when the annual Rencontres Internationales de Harpes Celtiques hits town. The weeklong festival features Celtic harp concerts and traditional Breton dancing performances.

• Le Patio, 9 pl. du Champ Clos (☎02 96 39 84 87). The best ambience in town, with a backlit bar and leopard-skin chairs reflected in its wall-length mirror. Restaurant in the back with deep leather armchairs and a lovely secluded garden. Beer €3-6. Apéritifs €2.20-6.50. Open June-Sept. daily 11am-2am; Oct.-Apr. Tu-Su 11am-2am. MC/V.
• L’Absinthe, 15 pl. St-Sauveur (☎02 76 87 39 28), near the basilica. Feels like an old-fashioned speakeasy, with soft jazz and exposed-brick walls. Beer €2.50. Apéritifs €2-6. Open Mar.-Sept. daily 9am-10pm; Oct.-Feb. Tu-Sa 9am-10pm.